It's Time to Redefine Your Lawn

by Laura Travers

Soil Test Kit

Lawns currently are considered to be a status symbol and homeowners can spend hundreds of dollars a year to have a perfect lawn; one that is green, lush, and free of weeds. A lawn like this does not sustain life or promote diversity rather it must be catered to, covered in fertilizers and pesticides, maintaining this type of lawn cost the homeowner money all while putting humans and animals at risk due to exposure to lawn chemicals. Additionally, these chemicals on the lawn get washed into storm drains polluting our rivers and lakes. The soil underneath this lawn is deprived of nutrients and devoid of life.

If property owner’s change their perspective on what a lawn is and what it should look like, we will encourage better practices for everyday use. These practices could reduce our risk, the risk for animals and insects, cost us less, and do not contaminate our soil and water.

We must figure out what is actually needed on our lawns thru soil testing, to see what they actually need to do to their lawn before they apply any chemicals. How can we reduce our lawn by creating gardens of long rooted plants that rejuvenate the soil, low maintenance or xeriscape landscapes and change our minds about what is a lawn? Redefine the lawn and we redefine our risk. There are many alternatives to fertilizers and information on the 4rs of Lawn Fertilization program if they chose to fertilize so they do so at the right rate, right time, in the right place and use the right type. Homeowners can also replace toxic landscaping products with safe, low cost alternatives, which you can make from everyday household ingredients.

The City of Euclid in partnership with Community Christian Church, Friends of Euclid Creek, and Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District, held a Detoxify Your Home and Garden Workshop on July 12, 2017 to further explain the importance of replacing toxic cleaning and landscaping products with environmental safe alternatives.